Realize that you were delivered from the futile way of life your fathers handed on to you, not by any diminishable sum of silver or gold, but by Christ’s blood beyond all price: the blood of a spotless, unblemished lamb chosen before the world’s foundation and revealed for your sake in these last days. It is through Him that you are believers in God, the God who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory. Your faith and hope, then, are centered in God.

Revelation 12:7 “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world–he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

We’ve already touched on this passage in the last post, but with this post we’re going to delve a little deeper and go beyond the obvious – Satan wanted to be God…

“How you have fallen from heaven…”

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the Pit.” (Isa 14: 12-14)

Because there is another level to Satan’s rebellion and it’s discussed not only by Barber, but also by many Church Fathers. Satan not only wanted to be God, but he also did not want to SERVE God, God’s creation – that is man – and WORSHIP the God-Man – that is Jesus!

St. Irenaeus writes, “he [Satan] fell because he was envious of man.” (Barber, 159)

Envy is a deadly sin – btw…

He draws his conclusion from a passage in the book of Wisdom which states…

“…for God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of His own eternity, but through the devil’s envydeath entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it.” (Wisdom 2: 23-24, emphasis added)

So, in the Garden of Eden Satan tempts our first parents because he’s envious – beyond jealous – of our creation, being so close to our creator. Why is this such a big deal?

Because it makes us ABOVE the Angels! Not even God’s Angels – who are in service before Him day after day, who see God FACE TO FACE – not even they are created in God’s image and likeness.

“For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come…” (Heb 2:5)

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness [notice the plurality here… ‘Let us’, ‘our image’, ‘our likeness’ – Father, Son, Holy Spirit]; and let them have dominion [notice the plurality again, ‘let them’ – man AND woman], over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing…upon the earth… God blessed them…and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over… every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Gen 1:26, 28, emphasis added with commentary)

That means – since the Angels are in service to God – they are ALSO in SERVICE to us who SHARE in God’s “own eternity [nature] ”. That’s one thing Satan could not tolerate! To have to serve mankind was too much for him…

“…the devil refused to be a part of God’s plan to make men share in the life of grace with the angels.” (Barber, 159)

The BIG PICTURE…

But that’s not the FULL PICTURE. There is one more element that made Satan’s revolt complete. That element is the INCARNATION. When God became man, not only would the angels be in service to man, but NOW they would also WORSHIP man, that is JESUS who IS GOD made MAN.

“For to what angel did God ever say, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten thee’? Or again, ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son’?” (Hebrews 1:5)

To say this is “the straw that broke the camel’s back” is no exaggeration. Of Jesus the writer of Hebrews says…

“Thou didst make Him for a little while lower than the angels [in that He came down from heaven], Thou has crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under His feet.” (Hebrews 2:7-8)

Thou, Lord, dist found the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands [see John 1: 1-3], they will perish, but Thou remainist…” (Heb 1:6b, 8-9, 10, emphasis added with commentary)

Barber makes note of this…

“Upon seeing the close link between the angelic fall and the Incarnation the Fathers speculated that the angels fell because they rejected the notion of a God-Man, whom they would have to worship.” (Barber, 159, emphasis added)

“LET ME ESPLAIN… NO, THERE IS TOO MUCH, LET ME SUM UP…”

“Indigo” from the Princes Bride…

Satan, once the most beautiful of Angels (Lucifer – which means ‘light of God’, but because of his fall he has NO MORE GLORY), created especially by God and loved by God

Then God created man – “and He saw that it was very good” (Gen 1:31) – Lucifer is no longer God’s most loved creation

Envy strikes at the heart of Lucifer and he rebels, is cast out of heaven (Rev 12:7-9; Lk 10:18; CCC§391-393), and turned his attack on this new creation, he convinces them to turn from God and disobey Him (Gen 3: 1-7; CCC§414)

Yet God still places man above this fallen angel as He gives “enmity between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your [Satan] head and you will strike at his heel.” (Gen 3:15)

That “seed” spoken of is none other than God Himself, who takes on Flesh, and becoming man is adored and glorfied (Is 7: 13-14; Lk 2: 10-14), and thus crushes the head of Satan by conquering death (Rom5: 12, 17-19; 1Cor 15:21; 1Peter 2:24; CCC§394).

CONQUERING FOR AN ETERNITY

This IS MY BODY…

It was through the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ that Satan’s hold over death was destroyed. So would it not stand to reason that when we re-present Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection in the celebration of the Eucharist that the same would occur?

Satan works hard to destroy the Church – that is the Body of Christ – and her head for this very reason. He vehemently goes after her priests, and then those whom they shepherd because he cannot tolerate the POWER of the Eucharist.

Pius XII explains…

“The people unite their hearts in praise, impetration, expiation and thanksgiving with the prayers or intention of the priest, even of the High Priest Himself [who is Christ], so that in the one and same offering of the victim [who again is Christ] and according to a visible sacerdotal rite, they may be presented to God the Father.” (Barber, 161, with commentary, emphasis added)

Satan HATES man because he HATES God and the LOVE that God HAS FOR US, His creation.

The destroyer of hatred IS LOVE.

Ponder on that for a moment…

Who is LOVE? See 1John 4:8b

“God showed His LOVE for us in that why we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ~Romans 5:8

“In the Eucharist, the Church enters into intimate communion of ONE FLESH with her Bridegroom [Sound familiar? See Gen 2:24b].

Christ pours out HIS LIFE in her and through her, so that just as He once offered Himself through His earthly body, so now He offers Himself through the Church.

When the Church offers herself up in the LITURGY, Christ is presenting Himself to the Father through her.”

(Barber, 161; emphasis added with commentary)

And WHO brings forth the Eucharist? Christ’s ministers, the priest, ordained by they who carry on the Apostolic succession- the Bishops – chosen by Christ from the beginning. It is the priest who stand in the person of Christ – persona en Christi – and bring forth that powerful representation of the ultimate gift of LIFE.

If Satan could prevent that representation of the Holy Eucharist, the moment when God Himself became flesh and conquered death once and for all, oh would he be a happy fallen angel indeed.

IT WAS A WOMAN…

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

But this is also why Satan so hates the Woman and why he wages war on women. After all, it was a WOMAN who brought forth the God-Man. Women are called to bring forth LIFE and it was a woman who brought forth Him who CREATED LIFE.

Therefore, it’s no wonder that Satan has also worked tirelessly to make women believe that motherhood is a disease instead of a blessing (Child Murder aka Abortion); it’s no wonder that Satan tries to make the woman believe she is nothing if she were not a man (Women’s Ordination, gender reassignments); because of a WOMAN, GOD BECAME MAN, and Satan was defeated because God conquered the power of death.

HOLY THURSDAY/ GOOD FRIDAY…

As we approach these days, let us also reflect on the days we are in…

YESTERDAY in prayer, I heard the words in my heart:

The winds of change are blowing and will not cease now until I have purified and cleansed the world.

In the latter days of these last days, the Church will be reduced greatly in numbers partly because of Apostasy…

“Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers…”

But also because many are called to be “seeds of the Church”, martyred for the sake of the Kingdom…

“The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth…” (CCC§675, excerpt)

And Satan will wage his war directly on you, but BE NOT AFRAID, for Christ tells YOU…

“Let not your hearts be troubled… I go to prepare a place FOR YOU… I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I AM you may also be… If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you… When they deliver you up, do not be anxious for how you are to speak, or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speaks, BUT the SPIRIT of your Father speaking through you.” (Jn 14: 1, 5, 6; 15:20c; Mt 10: 19-20, emphasis added)

For those who are chosen for the Great Evangelization (cf. Mt 24:14), during the Era of Peace when the Immaculate Heart of Mary triumphs over God’s enemies, to YOU as Our Lady’s army you will receive that which she received…

Like our mother, you also will receive “the wings of an eagle” so to, “that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness to a place where she is to be nourished for a time…” (Rev 12:14b)

But just as Mary did, so too must we do!

“Mary gives herself completely to God in an act of self-giving LOVE. She holds NOTHING back. EVERYTHING she is, from that moment on, is GIVEN TO GOD… God DEMANDS total SELF-GIVING LOVE. Everything we have and everything we are must be given over to Him.” (Barber, 164, emphasis added)

Mark Mallett’s latest post is an excellent compliment to this statement! He reminds us that…

“…the most important thing is to live the Gospel of Jesus. That youbegin againand humble yourself, seeking forgiveness from God and those whom you’ve offended. That you enter into the great adventure, which is prayer, and simply do the duty of the momentwith docility and surrender. Be joyful, despite everything, yes, rejoice always!

“And seek to have, like Our Lady, a true spirit of poverty. For the degree to which you are emptied of ‘self ‘, is the degree to which you will be filled inThe Coming Pentecost.

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. (Rom 12:2)

Two words: voluntary dispossession. Two words which continue to grow in my heart like corn in the fields…“

We will find our greatest satisfaction and fulfillment in life if we are in FULL service to the ONE who came, “not to be served, but to serve.” (cf. Mt 20:28) It’s in following His example that we will live our life to the fullest. So take these days to do just that! Make yourselves total servants of the ONE who calls YOU to Himself in service of His people, your neighbors as you fulfill the two greatest commandments…

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul… and YOU shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself.” (cf. Mt 22: 37, 39)

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4: 4-7)